The cabinet of then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's administration greenlighted for the National Audit Department (NAD) to check the audited accounts of 1MDB, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur heard.
Ninth prosecution witness Mazidah Abdul Majid today testified that the cabinet made this decision during a meeting on March 4, 2015.
Mazidah, a former cabinet deputy secretary, was testifying during the trial of Najib and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy over alleged amendments to the troubled sovereign wealth fund’s final audit report.
During examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam, the witness referred to the minutes on the 2015 cabinet meeting, which was attended by Najib.
“(The cabinet agreed) that after the cabinet meeting on March 4, 2015, for the prime minister (Najib) to issue a statement, among others, that the cabinet has been given a briefing by the country managing partner of Deloitte Malaysia, who carried out the audit on 1MDB’s financial management and investments, whereby the cabinet is satisfied that 1MDB’s financial management has been carried out according to the procedure, as well as international standards.
“However, in light of the 1MDB issue becoming a major one, the cabinet has agreed for the auditor-general to peruse the audit report by Deloitte Malaysia as well confirm the 1MDB accounts, and further to present the audit report to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
“If there is any wrongdoing, action will be taken under the law,” Mazidah read from the cabinet minutes.
Mazidah was also a prosecution witness in a separate RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption case against Najib, where she testified that the then cabinet agreed with Najib to keep under wraps the alleged Arab donation to the 1MDB foundation.
The 1MDB audit report trial before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan will resume on Sept 9.
Najib is charged with using his position to order amendments to 1MDB's final audit report before it was presented to the PAC, in order to prevent any action against him.
Co-accused Arul Kanda was charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments.
The charges are framed under Section 23 (1) of the MACC Act 2009, which specifies a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher. - Mkini
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